Seeing The Beatles in Detroit, 1966, by William C.

From MemoryArchive

Who: William C.
What: The Beatles
When:1966 
Where: Detroit

In August 1966 I was ten yrs old. My brother was seventeen in 1966.I was a typical ten year old. I also had an interest and a knack for music.I took up drumming and was naturally good at it.

As most people my age I was a huge Beatles fan. The Beatles were touring the us that summer. My brother's girlfriend's brother was an attorney. He got us tickets to the Beatles August matinée show at the Olympia stadium in Detroit.

At the time John Lennon had said the Beatles were more popular then Jesus Christ. This set of a huge anti-Beatles surge not the least of all in Detroit. As we were driving into Detroit I suggested to my brother and his girlfriend that there might not be many people there.I might get to meet the band and play Ringo's drums. About a mile from the concert the expressway was backed up; all of going to the show.

I remember that there were several act on the bill. The Cyrkle, the Ronnettes (I might be wrong on that) and a local band that backed up the Ronettes along with their own set.So it was quite a while before the Beatles came on.In fact the emcee came out and said they were having some technical problems and it would be a few more minutes before the Beatles came on.

In the meantime I had to use the rest room.So my brother took me out to find a rest room. We could not find one so I peed in a drinking fountain. Then we heard a terrific roar from the arena. We ran back in just as the Beatles were coming on. There were thousands of flashes all at once. I wish I could remember much of the music, I can't. I remember how loud the crowd was; screaming the whole time. I do remember the song paperback writer being performed.

As this was a matinée I was back home and riding my bike by four o'clock as it was a Saturday.

I never attended another event at Olympia. In fact it was almost twenty years later that I even saw the place again, driving by coincidentally. I asked my brother his memory and he remembered our seats were almost near the top and quite far away. I also looked up recently and learned that the show I attended was not sold out. There you have my recollection of the Beatles 1966 Detroit show.